


Varsity Letters

by Flight_at_Midnight



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Royai - Freeform, Royai Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24608350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flight_at_Midnight/pseuds/Flight_at_Midnight
Summary: To spend more time with track star Riza, Roy plans to earn his varsity letters with a spot on their high school's pole vaulting team. If only the bar for trying out wasn't set so high. HS AU. Fluffy/funny contribution to Royai Week 2020.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	Varsity Letters

“Put your back into it, Mustang!” his coach screamed for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Roy huffed as he arched his back, narrowly clearing the bar. Groaning as he landed on the pad with a soft _whump_ , he questioned what led him to trying out for the varsity track team.

A pale hand, calloused yet delicate, reached out to help him up. Oh yeah, that’s why. “Much better than last time,” Riza said, pulling him up from the pad. She grinned, and Roy felt his hand begin to sweat under hers. “Maybe Coach will finally stop claiming your back is more rigid than the stick up her ex-husband’s ass.”

Roy withdrew his hand quickly from hers, before she could realize that the growing clamminess of his hands wasn’t from the adrenaline of the pole vault. “That’s the dream. What do you think that stick up his ass is made of anyway? Silicon carbide?”

Rolling her eyes, Riza turned to walk back to the start of the runway. “Alright, chemistry nerd.” But Roy caught a hint of a smile on her face, and his heart squeezed a little. 

“Just trying to figure out what I’m aiming for here!” Roy called after her. He wasn’t sure if she heard him as she geared up to vault next.

Moving to grab his water bottle in the bleachers, he barely noticed Maes sidle up alongside him. “Sooo how’s it going?” 

Roy grunted noncommittally, trying to disguise his observation of Riza’s vault as a long sip from his water bottle. She arched smoothly over the bar, clearing it with ease. Any rumors that Riza made it onto the varsity girls’ team last year as a sophomore because the coach had a thing for Riza’s dad, a chemistry teacher at the school, were absurdly unfounded. She was all raw power and grace and beauty and goddamn did Roy admire her for it.

Maes smiled mischievously, knowing his friend too well. “Exercising your eyes won’t help you get onto the varsity team you know.” 

“Don’t you have better things to do? Isn’t Gracia practicing with the softball team right now?” Roy responded, shooting a glare at Maes. He knew the only thing that could derail Maes from probing into his love life was Gracia, Maes’ girlfriend and self-proclaimed soul mate. 

Maes pouted and checked the time on his phone. “She’s in the batting cage for another minute. Anyway, what do you think your chances are of getting onto the varsity track team this year?”

Roy grimaced as he watched as another junior boy, Jean, vaulted over the bar in peak form. “Not great.”

Because they didn’t have any classes together and the girls’ and boys’ varsity track teams practiced together under the same coach, Roy figured that getting on the boys’ team was the best way to get closer to Riza. As a junior and a fairly athletic dude, he thought his chances were pretty decent. Looking at the competition though, he may have underestimated both the number of students trying out and their talent. But he was going to get on the team and earn those varsity letters if he had to reshape his back like a banana, goddammit.

“Love always finds a way! You’ll be on the varsity team with Riza for sure.” Clapping Roy on the back, Maes turned to make his holy pilgrimage back to Gracia. “Maybe ask her for tips on handling your pole.”

After gaping at his best friend, Roy quickly checked to see if Riza overheard him but she seemed engrossed in conversation with their coach. The coach, who still hadn’t warmed up to him and seemed determined to punish him for it, presented yet another barrier to his membership on the team. He groaned—the next two days of tryouts were going to be rough.

-

On the third day, Roy arrived at school early and sore to check the results of the tryouts. As he walked up to the bulletin board with the announcement, he saw a familiar head of silky blonde hair fastened up in its signature clip. His heart sunk. If he didn’t make it on the team, he definitely didn’t want Riza to witness his failure.

Just as he considered making a run for it (and maybe changing schools), Riza heard his footsteps and turned to see who they belonged to. She smiled warmly at him. Was that a sympathetic smile? A pitying smile? Oh, god. Changing schools wouldn’t be enough. Roy wondered how hard it would be to change his name. 

“Congratulations!” Riza exclaimed, abruptly halting Roy’s spiral. “Welcome to the varsity team.”

Roy’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding,” he replied as he rushed up to the bulletin board. 

Riza laughed, the sound music to Roy’s ears. “Nope, you earned your varsity letters fair and square.” She paused. “Well, not square. More like a sine curve that the sheer force of Coach’s yelling remolded your back into.”

Grinning widely, Roy stepped back from the bulletin board and locked eyes with Riza. “Alright, math nerd.” Riza’s eyes lit up at his retort, and Roy tried to ignore how fast his heart began to beat. 

“Ouch. I was going to offer to buy you celebratory ice cream after school, but maybe this math nerd should go home and do her homework instead.”

“Chemistry nerds need to do their homework too,” Roy responded, his heart pounding so loudly that he’d be shocked if Riza couldn’t hear it. “How about we get ice cream and then do our homework together after?”

“Sounds like a date.”


End file.
